The idea that “the customer is always right” is rooted in
the understanding that consumers are the drivers of brand success. Today,
brands still abide by this unwritten rule and acknowledge that the customer
experiences they deliver can make or break a business.

However, despite a laser focus on the customer, many brands are
still failing to meet expectations due to one critical oversight: the customer
service employees on the front line—the agents whose conversations influence
whether or not shoppers return.

Agents are often the first point of contact a customer has
with a brand, and they play a significant role in shaping the customer
experience. Think about it: if your package delivery isn’t on time, you pick up
the phone to call a business and talk to an agent. That experience, pleasant or
not, will most likely determine your perception of the business. There’s a lot
riding on that initial conversation, so empowering agents upfront with the
right training and tools will result in more consistent, successful customer interactions.

However, a recent report
reveals the opposite may be taking place, and that companies need to do more
for their agents in order to meet customer expectations and cultivate brand
loyalty.

56 percent of agents
agree that dealing with complex customer issues is the most challenging part of
their role

With voice assistants, chatbots and other self-service
options, customers take care of simpler concerns themselves and leave the most
complex problems for agents. Capturing, analyzing and sharing insights from
more challenging customer interactions elevates the role of the agent and arms agents
with answers for the next round of calls.

45 percent of agents
believe that customers will continue to expect more from the company, and
they’ll expect it faster than ever

Customer expectations are on the rise. Flooded with choices at
every turn, customers select and stick with brands that provide exceptional
experiences. Winning companies enable and empower agents to answer the tough
questions and do what’s right for the customer.

60 percent of agents
agree that their company doesn’t provide the technology they need to address the challenges they face
when helping customers

What’s more, 34 percent of agents believe that they don’t
have the right customer data available at the time of the request. With
customer queries becoming more complex and coming in from all angles—be it text,
social, web chat or phone calls—agents must be able to quickly access customer
information in order to effectively solve problems.

A quarter of agents
say they feel stressed multiple times a week, and 52 percent agree that their
company isn’t doing enough to prevent their teams from burning out

The pressure from customers and not having the right tools
is weighing on agents’ well-being, and happy customers don’t exist without enthusiastic
employees. Companies who put their own people first create the customer
experience they desire.

We all know that unhappy employees are likely to leave the
company, and the survey revealed a full 35 percent of agents were considering
leaving their jobs within the next year. What agents want and need is a more
flexible working environment (34 percent), better technology that provides a
single view of the customer (33 percent), and more training (21 percent) in
order to get the results they want and improve relationships with customers.

While brands have good intentions of putting the customer
first, it’s simply not enough. They must first take a step back and focus on
their own people. The best path to providing exceptional customer experiences
is through happy employees—especially those on the front line.